More Than Words Can Say
by sirensong15
Summary: AU. Because of a curse on her family, Karin must fall in love, get the man to admit he feels the same way, and kill Aizen, Gin, and Tosen. She has to do all of this before she turns 21, or else she and her twin, Yuzu, will die. Sounds pretty hard right? Well, unfortunately for her, she can't talk. So it's safe to say she's got her work cut out for her.
1. Chapter 1

**I still don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo still does. **

Okay, so this was just an idea rolling around in my head. I was gonna wait until I finished my other story, Can't Fight This Feeling, but that's going to be a little while from now. So, now I'm going to be writing two stories at once. Yay! Lol. Well, on with the story! And this story is AU, by the way.

Chapter 1- The Curse

_Long ago, when the land was ruled by kings and queens, the town of Karakura was the center of the nation. It was where the royal palace was located; where the royal family and their subjects lived. The kingdom of Seireitei was rejoicing, for it had just come out of a long war called the Winter War. It had left the nation scarred, both physically and emotionally. But when the king declared the war officially over, the nation started to rebuild and prosper. It was during this time of prosperity that the king and queen were forcing their young daughter, Masaki, to get married. _

'_We're just doing what's best for you,' the king said. 'You're our only child, Masaki, and someday you're going to rule over all of Seireitei. Your mother and I aren't always going to be here, and we want to make sure you're taken care of.'_

'_Yes, that's right, dear,' the queen said. 'I do sympathize with you, but you're almost 21, and time is of the essence. It really is for the best.'_

_So, many princes from the neighboring kingdoms visited the Seireitei palace in Karakura, all to get the chance to court the beautiful princess. See, when one heard stories about the nation of Karakura, the tales of the beautiful princess went right along with it. Her hair was a light orange that fell down her back in waves. Her eyes were a dark brown, but they shined like stars when she was happy. She had a beautiful body that guys went crazy for. _

_Well, three months had passed since the day her parents told her that she had to get married before she turned twenty one. Since she had not decided who she wanted to marry, her parents had decided for her. His name was Gin Ichimaru, and he was from a group of noble families in a neighboring territory. He was rumored to be the second –in-command to Sosuke Aizen, the leader of the Soul Society, a rebel group that fought against Seireitei in the Winter War. Aizen was cruel and ruthless, and Seireitei had had many casualties because of him alone. Even though he was killed during the Winter War, many still believe him to be alive. Well, of course Gin and his family deny all ties to Aizen, and all ties to the Soul Society. Masaki's parents believed them, and the wedding date was set for three months away, on her 21st birthday. Of course, what her parents didn't know was that she was in love with a hero from the war, Isshin Kurosaki. He had visited the palace many times after the war was over, as he was made a member of the royal court. One day, they had met while passing in the hall, and it was like love at first sight. But their love had to remain a secret because of her engagement to Gin Ichimaru. _

_Before anyone knew it, three more months had passed, and it was Masaki's birthday, and the night of her wedding. While her servants were getting her ready, she was crying. She loved Isshin with all her heart, and he loved her just as much. After she was in her dress and she was ready, everyone made their way to the ballroom, where the ceremony was taking place. Her father, the king, walked her up the aisle, and the minister began the ceremony. _

_Masaki began to cry so much that when the minister asked if she took Gin for her lawfully wedded husband, she could only whimper and nod her head. She couldn't believe this was really happen. Surely it was just a dream? But before the minister could declare them man and wife, Isshin stood up, and said:_

'_Masaki, I know that I had to keep our love a secret, but I can't anymore. I think of you every day and every night, and how I dreamed that we could be together. You mean everything to me; there is nothing I wouldn't do to ensure your happiness. I know that you don't love him, nor have you ever loved him. Please say you'll marry me instead of him.'_

_As soon as he said that, Masaki ran down the aisle to where Isshin was, threw her arms around him, and kissed him with as much passion as she could possess. He kissed her back with as much force, completely forgetting the world around them. Gin stood still with silent rage, revenge the only thing coursing through his brain. He then stormed out of the room, and headed out of the palace toward the home where Aizen was temporarily staying and working to rebuild the Soul Society._

_Since Isshin had declared his love for Masaki during the ceremony, her parents led him out of the hall to talk to him. Masaki was scared of what her parents would say; she thought that he would be banished from Seireitei for ruining the wedding. After about five minutes, Isshin came in along with her parents. _

'_I have come to a decision,' the king announced. 'Ordinarily, if someone dared to interrupt something so imperative to the future of the kingdom he would be banished immediately if he did so for the wrong reasons. But this is another matter. This man has openly admitted his love for my daughter, and after speaking with him, my wife and I fully believe him. If my daughter wishes to marry him, we will allow it.'_

_Both Isshin and Masaki were overjoyed. The ceremony was started again, with Isshin standing in the front waiting for her this time. When the minister asked if anyone had any objections, no one said no. They were pronounced man and wife, then they kissed passionately and smiled at one another when they broke apart for air. The audience rejoiced, and so did the rest of the kingdom. Everything went smoothly. _

_About a year after Isshin and Masaki got married, she gave birth to their first child, a son named Ichigo. He had bright orange hair and amber eyes. The new parents decided to throw a party to celebrate his birth, and the entire kingdom was invited. It was to be held in the palace courtyard on the night of their 1 year anniversary. _

_The night of the party saw the kingdom of Seireitei in high spirits. The citizens had two things to celebrate: the prince and princess's new son, and the royal couple's first year of marriage. Even the veterans from the Winter War were drinking and having a good time. That is, until they came. They were the leaders of the Soul Society, Sosuke Aizen and Kaname Tosen, and Gin Ichimaru was with them. Everyone was shocked to see them, but Aizen was the most shocking to see out of them all. Everyone thought that he had been killed before the war ended. Needless to say, the party stopped at their arrival._

'_Well, you don't have to stop the party on our account,' Aizen said while walking toward the royal family._

'_What are you doing here?' the king demanded. 'You are not welcome here.'_

'_We are here to get revenge, of course,' Gin said with a smile. 'Revenge for what you did to me, Masaki,' he said while looking at her._

'_What do you mean? I didn't do anything to you,' she said._

'_You didn't do anything to me? What do you call me finding out that you were seeing him behind my back? What do you call being left at the altar on the day of your wedding? What do you call finding out that my fiancée never really loved me?' Gin said angrily._

'_Okay, I admit it. I should have told you what was going on between Isshin and me, and you shouldn't have found out the way you did. For that, I really am sorry, and someday I hope you will forgive me, Gin,' Masaki said with sincerity. She was looking at him with sad, regretful eyes until Ichigo stirred in her arms. She looked down at her son and smiled at him. Gin and the others took notice of her actions, and he turned toward Aizen and whispered something in his ear. Aizen nodded and smiled at Gin in a cruel way._

'_You're not sorry yet, but you will be,' Aizen said while looking at Isshin, Masaki, and their son. 'What you did to my best friend was unforgivable, and you will suffer for it, but what I'm going to do won't directly affect you, but the next royal.'_

'_The next royal?' the king, queen, Isshin, and Masaki all said at once. _

'_Yes, the next royal. You will soon know what I mean,' Aizen said while raising up his hands. The crowd started to step back, and everyone looked frightened. The royal family was starting to become afraid, because they knew that Aizen performed dark magic. He had cursed Seireitei many times during the war. They were small but powerful curses, and somehow the kingdom was victorious against the Soul Society. _

_But then Tosen and Gin raised their hands up as well. Once all of their hands were up, their bodies started to glow a light blue. After a few moments, the glow spread out in front of them to envelope Masaki as well. Then, the three began to chant as one:_

'_The king and queen of Seireitei had made a choice, _

_A decision in which the princess had no voice. _

_By the time she turned twenty-one she must find a life mate, _

_It mattered not what she thought for it was to be her fate._

_The palace then saw visits from many suitors, _

_She rejected them so her parents chose for her._

_They were to be married on her birthday,_

_But in the ceremony there was a delay._

_It turned out a war hero had loved her all along,_

_It was to each other they wanted to belong._

_The other man left the palace lividly mad,_

_But he would return for revenge was yet to be had._

_The punishment will not be on them but given to the next royal, _

_This is a curse that which no one can foil._

_The next child born to you will be a daughter, _

_As soon as she is born her voice will be taken from her. _

_If she wishes for her voice to return and to speak, _

_She must fall in love and kill us before her 21st birthday peaks._

_To just fall in love with another is not enough,_

_Getting the other to admit his feelings is what will be tough._

_If by the appointed time from the curse she is not released, _

_Then both she and her twin sister by the end of that night will be deceased.'_

_Once their voices had ceased, the blue glow surrounding Masaki and the others lifted into the air in waves, and slowly disappeared. The royal family, along with the citizens of Seireitei, became enraged at the curse laid upon the future children of the prince and princess, and started to attack Aizen, Gin, and Tosen. Before anyone could get close enough for a sword to land a strike, the members of Soul Society disappeared in a cloud of smoke. _

'_Oh no. What have I done?' Masaki said as she began to cry. _

'_Don't worry, everything will be alright,' Isshin said while putting his arms around her and their son. 'It will all work itself out in time, you'll see.'_

_She hoped with all she had that what he said would be true. _

**Hey guys! As the opening note said, this was just an idea I had in my head. And yes, I did mean for the first chapter of this story to sound like something out of a fairytale storybook. Lol. This story will get a lot better, trust me. Lol Well, tell me what you think. I'll read and consider all reviews and ideas. :) **

**Until next time,**

**sirensong**


	2. Chapter 2- Twin Princesses

Okay, just to let everyone know, the first part of the chapter will be in italics because it happened in the past. When it goes back to regular type, then it switches to present time. This was just to clarify, in case anyone was confused on that. And when Karin writes, it will be in italics. Now, on with the story! Lol.

Chapter 2- The Twin Princesses

_After what happened, the kingdom of Seireitei did not feel like celebrating much anymore. In fact, some of the citizens were starting to panic. The king decided to address his people._

'_Citizens of Seireitei, all is well. There is no need to panic,' the king said in a calm voice. Aizen had cursed us many times during the Winter War and we overcame them. We will do the same with this one, but this one will take some time to overcome.' _

_The citizens calmed down as they listened to the king, as they realized that he was right. It would just take time. The party started to resume once more, but the feeling of uneasiness did not completely disappear. The rest of the night went smoothly. Even with the words of comfort Isshin had spoke to her earlier that night, Masaki couldn't help but feel sadness and regret._

'_It's all my fault,' she thought sadly. 'I should have married Gin, even if it meant sacrificing my own happiness. I wouldn't wish that curse on anyone, much less my own child.' She immediately started to cry when she awoke the next morning._

_But time heals all wounds, and this was no exception. Isshin and Masaki did not let the knowledge of the curse be a burden on them, or the rest of Seireitei. The kingdom began to flourish and prosper once again. Soon, the king and queen decided to step down from the throne, and crowned Isshin and Masaki king and queen. Masaki's mother and father continued to stay in the palace. The kingdom rejoiced, and all was well._

_Four years had passed by, and the new queen had given birth to twin daughters. As the curse foretold, the oldest of the twins' voice was taken right after she made her first wail. Her throat began to glow a light blue, then the glow disappeared, and her voice was gone. She opened her dark gray eyes, and she had tears rolling down her cheeks, her mouth open in a silent scream. Her midnight hair was sticking to her head. Soon after, her twin had been born. She had light brown her and chocolate eyes. The nurses took the babies, cleaned them, wrapped them in blankets, and handed them to Isshin and Masaki. Ichigo was standing next to his mother's bed, trying to get a look at his little sisters. _

'_What should we name them?' Isshin asked Masaki._

'_What do you think Ichigo?' Masaki asked him. She looked to her son, and his brows were furrowed, as he was deep in thought. He then relaxed his forehead, and began to smile._

'_I know!' he exclaimed. 'We should name this one Karin,' he pointed to the dark-haired girl in Masaki's arms, 'and this one Yuzu!' he said while pointing at the fairer-haired girl in Isshin's arms._

'_That's perfect son,' Isshin said while looking at his family with a loving look in his eyes. Everything was perfect._

* * *

Nineteen years had passed since that day, and many things were different. Masaki's parents had passed away in their sleep a few years ago, but Masaki died a few years before that, when Karin and Yuzu turned six. She was murdered by one of the rogue members of the Soul Society. The whole kingdom had mourned for a long time. Isshin had become the sole ruler of Seireitei, as he refused to remarry. He loved Masaki too much. Isshin had created the Gotei 13, the divisions of the royal guard, shortly after the twins were born. The Gotei 13 were not just guards; they each contributed in different ways around the palace, and had different barracks for each squad. The only ones who did not stay in their squads' barracks were the captains and vice-captains of each squad. They stayed in the palace.

Even though Karin and Yuzu were twins, they could not be more opposite. Despite Karin's inability to speak, she had a tomboyish exterior, and could express herself in many ways. Since she was a princess, she was very well-educated. She always carried around a notepad and a pencil (at her father's insistence), just in case if she couldn't get her meaning across, though most people around the palace could understand her. She loved to play sports, especially soccer, which she played with some boys in Karakura. She also loved fighting, so she spent a lot of time with squad eleven, and some time with her friends with other squads.

Yuzu, on the other hand, was more girly. She would wear dresses and skirts, while Karin wore shorts and t-shirts. She didn't like to fight, but spent time with the fourth squad, which specialized in healing. She also helped with the various chores around the palace. She would always be kind and polite, whereas Karin would be more brash and abrasive. Somehow though, she and Karin understood each other like no one else could, except Ichigo sometimes, and Rukia, Ichigo's girlfriend. Rukia was like another sister to each of them.

Karin, Yuzu, and Rukia were in Yuzu's room; Yuzu and Rukia were discussing girly things, but Karin didn't know what since she was sitting on the bed, bored.

'_Maybe I should go find Ikkaku or Renji and see if they'll spar with me,' _Karin thought. '_But first I need to go get my sword. . .'_

"Karin? Were you listening?" Yuzu asked her sister. Karin just shook her head no, her face still showing her look of boredom.

"We both know the answer to that one, Yuzu,' Rukia said. "Well anyway, we need to go to the great hall, where your father's having that meeting with the Gotei 13. He told me to bring you two as well."

"Alright," Yuzu said. Karin nodded and got off the bed. The three girls made their way to the great hall, and opened the doors. The rest of the Gotei 13 was already there; it looked like they were waiting on the girls to get started. Each squad was sitting in its area, and the squads lined the walls adjacent to the thrones. Squads 1-7 lined the left wall, while 8-13 lined the right wall. Isshin and Ichigo were already sitting on their thrones.

"Nice of you to join us, little sisters," Ichigo said in a sarcastic but playful manner. Rukia had already left them to sit with squad 13.

"Sorry, Ichigo. We just lost track of time," Yuzu explained. He looked satisfied with her answer. He looked to Karin, who shrugged indifferently.

"Come and sit, my beautiful daughters!" Isshin said with enthusiasm. "Daddy hasn't seen you all day- "

He was interrupted with a swift kick to his face by Karin. He always annoyed her when he talked like that, and he almost always got hurt, but he did it anyway. When her foot was firmly planted in his face on the ground, she lifted her foot and walked to her throne, which was beside Ichigo's, and sat down. Yuzu went and sat down as well.

"Well anyway, let's get started already," Ichigo said while Isshin was sitting back down.

"Yes, your majesty, why did you call this meeting?" Ukitake asked with curiosty.

"Yeah, did we do something wrong or what?" Shunsui said, tilting his hat up slightly so he could see.

"No, not to worry, all of you have been doing your jobs just fine," Isshin said with a reassuring tone. "I just want to discuss the party that's coming up this Friday, is all."

"Party, what party? Will there be sake?" Rangiku, vice-captain of the 10th squad asked excitedly.

"Matsumoto, you know very well what party he's talking about," her snowy-haired captain said. His name was Toshiro Hitsugaya, and at 21 he was the youngest captain in the Gotei 13. "Stop asking stupid questions you already know the answer to."

"But captain, I didn't know the answer. That's why I asked," Rangiku said with a sad face.

"Well, just to inform everyone of the situation, this Friday is Karin and Yuzu's birthday," Isshin said with a smile, looking over at them for a brief moment. "I am going to throw a party to celebrate their 20th birthday, and all of Seireitei is invited, not just the citizens of Karakura. It will be a formal event, so none of you will wear swords, except for the captains. Oh, and one more thing. . ."

'_Oh crap, here it comes,' _Karin thought. "_Every woman will have to wear a dress, I know it_.'

"This will be a formal event, so men will wear suits and tuxes, and women will wear dresses," Isshin announced. "Even you, Karin," he added while turning to look at her. Since most of the Gotei 13 knew Karin's opinion when it came to dresses, many looked up at her to gauge her reaction. She had a determined, stubborn look on her face, and her arms were crossed over her chest.

'_No way in hell.'_

**Hey guys! I know not too much happens in this chapter, but you have to have background to know what's goin on, right? Lol. Next chapter it's gonna pick up, I promise! As always, review and tell me what you think! :)**

**Until next time,**

**sirensong**


	3. Chapter 3- The Party

**Hey everyone! I'm back! I'm so sorry for the delay of this story, but school was rippin' me a new one with finals and what not. Lol. But it's finally over! Whoo! Well anyway, without further ado, I bring you the next chapter of More Than Words Can Say. On with the story!**

Chapter 3- The Party

"Karin, I know that look," Isshin said while looking to his daughter. "I know that you don't like this, but it's happening whether you like it or not. I guess since today's Tuesday, we should bring in the royal seamstress tomorrow-"

He was, yet again, interrupted by another kick to the face by Karin. Except that this time, after she kicked him, instead of going to sit back down beside her brother, she steps down from the platform the thrones are on. She begins to walk down the aisle between where the Gotei 13 line the walls. When she passes by squad eleven, she looks to where Ikkaku is sitting beside his captain, Kenpachi Zaraki. Normally the vice-captain would sit beside the captain, but the vice-captain of squad eleven, Yachiru, the youngest member of the Gotei 13 period, was on Kenpachi's shoulders.

"Hey Karin," Ikkaku whispered. "You wanna meet up in the dojo after the meeting for a fight?"

Karin instantly smirked and gave him a thumbs-up while walking past.

"Excellent," he said with a smirk of his own. He looked over to Renji, who sitting beside his captain, Byakuya Kuchiki, and gave him a nod. He nodded back, the hint of a smile on his face. Before she was able to make it to the doors, her father and Ichigo both spoke up.

"Don't try to ignore it, it's gonna happen!" Ichigo and Isshin both shouted at her. Karin stopped right in front of the doors, turned around, raised her right arm in front of her, and flipped both of them off. Yuzu gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, while Ichigo and Isshin had their mouths open, looks of shock on their faces. A few members of the Gotei 13 openly laughed, namely Ikkaku, Renji, Rukia, Rangiku, Shuhei, and Yumichika. The rest either showed no emotion at all, or hid their laughter behind their hands. Karin then turned around and stormed out the doors.

"Well, I had a feeling she would leave if I did that," Isshin said while rubbing his sore nose. "Which is what I wanted from the start."

"Daddy," Yuzu said, "why would you want Karin to leave?" Yuzu sounded concerned, as always.

Isshin looked over to his youngest daughter and smiled. "Because I know that she'll completely object what I'm about to say." He looked out to the Gotei 13, but specifically to Rangiku and Rukia.

"Rangiku, Rukia, and Yuzu," he said while looking at each one in turn, "come up here please." They each came from where they were sitting and stood before Isshin. He had a smile on his face.

"There's something I need you to do for me," he said while smiling at each of them. "We all know how Karin is. She would come to the party in shorts if she could. More than likely she will be in the dojo training or riding in the fields bordering the palace in the hours before the celebration. It's your job to make sure that doesn't happen. You have to make sure she puts on the dress, and help her look like what she truly is: a princess."

"Consider it done," Rukia said in an excited tone.

"This is gonna be fun!" Rangiku said while throwing up her hand. The other two copied her action, and gave each other a high-five, smiling all the while.

"Well, I think this concludes this meeting of the Gotei 13," Isshin said with an authoritative voice. "Head Captain Yamamoto will hold a meeting with the captains and vice-captains on Friday morning about security. Everyone's dismissed."

As soon as Isshin said this, Yuzu, Rangiku, and Rukia went over their plan on how to get Karin to cooperate. Ikkaku immediately walked over to Renji, clapping him on the back.

"Come on, man," Ikkaku said excitedly. "Karin's waiting in the dojo, and you know how she gets when she's pissed. She'll be so mad she'll give us a good fight!"

"You're right," Renji said, beginning to get excited as well. "Let's go!" They both left quickly, trying not to waste time. Ichigo walked down from his throne and found Rukia. Toshiro, Jushiro, Shuhei, Shunsui, and Byakuya also gathered in the group, but each had their own reasons. Toshiro went to fetch his vice-captain, Shunsui, Jushiro, and Shuhei just wanted to chat, and Byakuya wanted to make sure his sister Rukia was alright.

"That girl's a spitfire, that's for sure," Shunsui said, tipping his hat up once again.

"Yes, she certainly is lively," Jushiro Ukitake said with a smile. "She keeps everyone on their toes, especially her father."

"Yeah, you can say that again," Ichigo said while looking at Rukia, who smiled at him. "The party will be a riot, if she has anything to do with it." He started to laugh, and the others joined him, except for Toshiro and Byakuya.

"Rangiku, let's go," Toshiro said.

"But why, captain?" Rangiku whined.

"Someone forgot to do her paperwork again," he said while giving her a pointed look. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Captain, you really need to loosen up and have some fun every once in a while," Rangiku said.

"I don't have time for fun, because I always end up having to do my vice-captain's work for her, along with my own," Toshiro replied in a serious tone. He reached out his left hand and grabbed her wrist. "Let's go," he repeated while dragging her along.

"Fine captain, you win," Rangiku said while taking her wrist from Toshiro's grasp. She immediately adjusted her stride to walk beside him, and soon they too disappeared through the double doors of the great hall. The others could only shake their heads.

"Considering his age, you would think he would act more carefree," Jushiro said thoughtfully.

"You and I both know that ever since he joined the Gotei 13 he's always had that cold exterior," Shunsui said, putting his hand up to his chin in thought. "Come to think of it, he's been that way ever since I've known him."

"Rangiku's right," Shuhei said. "He never has any fun or anything."

"Well, unless something drastic happens, he may be like this for the rest of his life," Rukia said. "Take Ichigo, for instance. He was all gloomy and scowling all the time until we got together, well, more than he does now anyway." She nudged him in the ribs with her shoulder. He just shrugged.

"She's right. I can't really deny it. I like the midget more than I care to admit," Ichigo said while looking at Rukia.

"Midget? Who are you calling a midget, you giant?" Rukia shouted at him.

"You, duh!" Ichigo shouted back.

"Why you. . ." Rukia grumbled before she punched Ichigo's stomach hard.

"Ow, Rukia, that hurt!" Ichigo said, half-shouting and half-whining in pain.

"You deserved it, stupid moron," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head to look away from him. The others laughed, including Byakuya for once. Jushiro and Shunsui exchanged glances to one another, deep in thought. Then, as if they both reached the same conclusion, their faces immediately brightened as they smiled. The other four in the group noticed this, and all except Byakuya asked the same thing.

"What?" Ichigo, Rukia, and Shuhei asked simultaneously, looking at them expectantly.

Would it work?" Shunsui asked Jushiro.

"I think it just might," Jushiro replied with a smile.

"What?" the other three said even louder. As if just noticing them, Jushiro and Shunsui both turned to them, smiles still present on their faces. Shunsui decided to speak first.

"Well, after watching you two just now," he said while looking at Ichigo and Rukia, "we've come up with an idea." They all looked at him with curiosity.

"Rukia," Jushiro turned to look at her, "remember when you said that unless something drastic happens to Captain Hitsugaya, he'll be the way he is for the rest of his life?"

"Yes captain, I remember. Why do you ask?" Rukia said.

"There in lies the solution to the problem," he replied back to his vice-captain. Rukia, Ichigo, and Shuhei all looked at each other confusedly, trying to make sense of what the two captains were saying. Suddenly, Rukia's confused face disappeared, and the looked that replaced it was one of discovery.

"I understand what you're thinking now," she said with a smile. "You mean he should get a girlfriend."

"Exactly," Jushiro and Shunsui said at the same time. Upon hearing this, Ichigo burst out laughing, with Shuhei not far behind. They laughed for almost thirty whole seconds, and finally calmed down enough to speak.

"That's your plan?" Ichigo asked. "It won't work."

"Ichigo may be right," Shuhei said. "Ever since he became the youngest captain since the creation of the Gotei 13, there have been many girls that have admired him from afar, and even more that have openly confessed to him. He's turned down every single one. He's kinda got a reputation as a heartbreaker."

"He's turned them down because all of those girls are the same. They're all really girly, giggle all the time, are very shallow, and for the most part, have no sense at all." Jushiro said. "He needs someone who is basically the opposite of his vice-captain, Rangiku, and the opposite of the girls who confess to him."

"I get it, but what girl around here is like that?" Ichigo asked. Byakuya gave him a 'you are such a moron' look, and looked at the two captains.

"You're talking about Karin Kurosaki," he stated in an even tone.

"Correct, Captain Kuchiki," Shunsui said.

"What?" Ichigo said. "No way, I'm out of here!" He took off, Rukia and Shuhei behind him. Byakuya turned to leave as well, leaving Jushiro and Shunsui in the great hall with Isshin, who was watching and listening the entire time. They looked at one another and smiled.

"Do you approve of our plan, old friend?" The two captains asked their king.

"Yes, I do," Isshin looked down at his two friends and loyal captains. "But there's one question you haven't answered yet."

"What's that?" Jushiro and Shunsui asked at the same time.

Isshin gave them a smile and said, "How do we go about it?"

* * *

Before anyone in the palace knew it, the day of the birthday celebration had come. Things were even busier than usual, which was saying quite a lot. People were moving around rather frantically, especially the high-ranking members of the Gotei 13. The various squads were overseeing certain areas of preparation, but there were a few who weren't helping, Rangiku and Rukia being two of them. They were currently running through the halls of the palace trying to find Karin. It was still early, but they had to keep track of her whereabouts.

They had been searching for an hour and still had not found Karin. They were beginning to panic. The places they thought she would be were empty. They had checked her room, the dojo, and the fields, but she was not there. Just as they were headed back through the main hall of the palace, they saw Ichigo rounding the corner, his bright orange hair clearly visible.

"Ichigo!" Rangiku and Rukia shouted at the same time. Ichigo, upon hearing his name, stopped and turned around.

"Yeah?" he asked them once they stopped a few steps in front of him.

"Have you seen Karin?" Rukia asked. "We've been looking for her for over an hour. There's only three hours before the party starts, and we have to get her ready."

"Yeah, last time I saw her she was with Yuzu in the kitchen," Ichigo stated calmly. "I'm sure that you two will be busy with that for the rest of the afternoon. I'll see you at the party, then." He smiled at both of them, and then he left. After hearing Ichigo's answer, the two ran to the kitchen.

True to Ichigo's word, Karin and Yuzu were in the kitchen, apparently sampling the desserts before the party. The twins had somehow gotten chocolate on their faces though, and both were laughing, even Karin, whose mouth was open in silent laughter. Rukia and Rangiku almost couldn't believe their eyes, shock evident on their faces. Soon enough, they snapped out of it, and addressed their princesses.

"Yuzu, Karin, it's almost time for the party," Rukia said excitedly. Yuzu visibly brightened at her words, Karin just shrugged.

"Let's go! It's time to get ready!" Rangiku said with enthusiasm. Karin's eyes got wide, as she finally caught on to their plan.

'_Oh crap!' _Karin thought. '_How am I gonna get out of here? The exit is blocked by those two. There's no way in hell they can make me get in that stupid dress. They'll have to drag me to Yuzu's room.'_

About ten minutes had passed by, and Rangiku, Rukia, and Yuzu were making their way toward the east wing of the palace, where the royal family's rooms were. The captains and vice-captains of the Gotei 13, along with the third seat of squad eleven, were walking in the main hall, heading toward their rooms in the west wing. They passed the four girls in the hall, and everyone did a double take. What they saw was Rukia and Rangiku dragging Karin by her wrists, and Yuzu violently shoving her twin's back. Karin was struggling, but it was doing her no good. Once they were out of sight, a few of them were laughing, and some were shaking their heads. Two of the captains looked down to the young, snowy-haired captain, who looked as if he was in thought. They smiled at one another knowingly.

* * *

At last, the moment the whole palace was eager to arrive was here; it was time for the birthday party to begin. Many citizens of Seireitei were still coming in through the palace gates and making their way to the courtyard where the party was being held. The lower-ranked members of the Gotei 13 where lined against the edges of the courtyard, keeping watch until the other members of the royal guard got there after the royal family arrived. Soon enough, people were gathered in the middle of the courtyard, watching the stage for the announcement to begin. Head Captain Yamamoto made his way onto the stage and stood in the middle, facing the people, and began to make the opening announcements.

"Citizens of Seireitei, we would like to welcome you to the palace on this glorious evening. It is time to welcome our host, so allow me introduce our king, Isshin Kurosaki." Yamamoto stated, and gestured to his left, where the courtyard led to the palace. The captains of the Gotei 13 made two lines parallel to each other, and Isshin walked in between them. Since it was a formal occasion, he had on his crown and the royal cape worn by the king, which was a deep red color. He had on a black tux on under the cape, with a white shirt, black tie and black shoes. He walked to the stage and faced his people, a broad smile on his face.

"Hello and welcome my loyal subjects to the palace on this beautiful evening," he spoke in a joyous tone, and his people listened with anticipation. "Tonight we have many things to celebrate: the many years of the Winter War being over, the good health of you all, and the prosperity of Seireitei, among other things. But before I introduce the reasons for this celebration, let me first bring out my oldest child and son, Ichigo, Prince of Seireitei."

Isshin looked to his left to the hall where he entered, and the people followed his gaze. The captains were no longer forming the walkway, but now the vice-captains had taken their place. They bowed their heads a little when they began to see Ichigo, as their captains had done for the king. Ichigo walked with even, long strides, and truly looked like a prince. He, like his father, had his crown atop his head, covering some of his hair. He had a hint of a smile on his face. He was also wearing a black suit with a white shirt, but was wearing a dark purple tie instead. Since he was a Gotei 13 captain, he also had his sword, Zangetsu, strapped to his back. He went to stand next to his father, and smiled to the people as well.

"Now that Ichigo is here, it is time to start the celebration. This reason for the party was to celebrate my twin daughters' 20th birthday, so, without further ado, I give you your princesses, Karin and Yuzu!" Isshin stated with much enthusiasm. He began to clap, and everyone else followed suit. The vice-captains moved from their position to make room for the twins. When everyone saw them, they gasped, for they were looking two very beautiful young women.

Yuzu had her tiara on top of her loosely-curled shoulder-length hair, which was framed about her face. She had on a little bit of makeup. Around her neck was a pink, heart-shaped diamond that was on a gold chain. Her dress was light pink, and it had spaghetti straps. It had a sweetheart neckline, and was fitted at the top, but flowed loosely around the bottom of the dress, which was a little past the knee. A bow that was dark pink was tied around her waist and hung over on the left side. Her shoes were of the same shade of pink as her bow, and were open-toed stilettos. She was smiling a wide, brilliant smile, and looked over to her twin who was walking beside her. Karin was smiling back at her, it just wasn't as big.

Karin, like her sister, had her tiara on her head. Her long, midnight hair was styled into an elegant bun, with a few strands left down to frame her face. On her neck was a beautiful sapphire and diamond choker, which sparkled under the lights. Her dress was a strapless, midnight blue ball gown. The top of the dress was beaded to look completely silver. A thick strip of fabric was tied at her waist in a complex knot in the back, the same color as her dress. The bottom of the dress was tulle, and it flowed out around her in all directions. It was almost completely blue, except for the silver beading around the end of her waist and the bottom of her dress. Her shoes, though unseen, were silver heels that weren't as high as Yuzu's. She also has make up on her face, and her eyes were highlighted by the shadow that was the same blue as her dress. She also had mascara on her eyelashes, and light coat of makeup the same color as her skin was put on the rest of her face to enhance and make it look smooth.

The twins made their way to Ichigo and Isshin, and they all smiled at one another. Isshin looked like he was about to burst from joy, and made one last announcement.

"Let the party begin!" he shouted, and everyone cheered. People began to mingle with one another and dance, while some just talked. Isshin was sitting on his throne, watching his family and subjects have a good time. Ichigo, Rukia, Yuzu, Karin, Rangiku, Toshiro, Renji, Ikkaku, Shuhei, Izuru, Yumichika, Jushiro and Shunsui were all standing in one area talking. They all had danced earlier, but were resting now. Soon, a cheerful song was playing, and Yuzu looked to Karin expectantly.

"Karin, you've only danced once. Will you dance with me?" Yuzu asked her sister pleadingly.

'_No,'_ Karin thought. _'It's bad enough that I'm here and in this dress. Dancing is a definite no.'_

"Please?" Yuzu begged, her hands clasped together and her eyes wide.

'_Fine,'_ Karin thought. She rolled her eyes and nodded to her sister. Yuzu bounced up and down for a moment before grabbing Karin's hand and dragging her to the dance floor. Everyone laughed; even Toshiro gave a small chuckle at the look on her face. His vice-captain turned to him and spoke.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Rangiku asked him quietly, though it was loud enough for the others to hear. Jushiro, Shunsui, Ichigo, Rukia, and Shuhei smiled at each other, a knowing look in their eyes.

"Anyone could see that, Rangiku," Toshiro said while looking at Karin. He had his arms crossed across his chest. He looked thoughtful.

"Well, why don't you dance with her?" Rangiku put her hands on his shoulders and tried to shove him toward where she was. He stopped her before she could, though.

"What?" Toshiro asked her in disbelief. "I barely know her. I mean, I've talked to her a few times, but not enough to really know her." He was right on these statements. They had fought in the dojo before, glanced at each other as they passed in the hall, and they had conversations at dinner sometimes. At most, their relationship was distant friends.

Before he had time to consider it further, however, there was an ominous cloud of smoke that rolled in from nowhere. It went over the courtyard gates, and got closer to the crowd. The people stepped away from it, and they started to get scared. When the smoke reached the middle of the dance floor, it stopped and started to clear. Once it was completely gone, everyone was shocked. There, standing and smiling, was Sosuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tosen, looking like they hadn't aged at all in 24 years. Some of the Gotei 13 captains began to draw their swords.

"There's no need to be hasty," Gin said, his ever-present smile on his face. "We're just here to enjoy the party."

While Gin was speaking, Isshin retrieved his sword from its hiding place behind his throne. He tied it to his waist, and made his way toward where his son and daughters were standing with their friends.

"What are you doing here?" Isshin demanded. "You three have absolutely no right to be here. I suggest you leave now, if you know what's good for you." He took a fighting stance, and the others did the same, except for Yuzu. She had wide eyes and was shaking a little bit. Karin noticed this, and pushed Yuzu behind her. Gin, Aizen, and Tosen noticed as well.

"Well, well, well, look at what we have here," Gin said, smiling all the while. "It's the birthday girls, and they are the reason we came, after all."

"You're right," Aizen said, an evil glint in his eye. "They are the reason we came. I don't believe we've met in person before, girls. I'm Sosuke Aizen, and these are my partners, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen. You must be Karin and Yuzu, right?"

Yuzu shakily nodded her head from her position behind Karin. Karin started reaching her hand behind her dress so those three couldn't see what she was trying to do.

"We all know who you are, and so do they!" Ichigo shouted back as a reply. "If you don't leave now, you won't see the light of tomorrow." He pulled his sword from his back and pointed it at Aizen.

Aizen ignored him and faced Karin. "So, Karin, do you like the gift I gave you?"

'_Hell no I don't you stupid bastard!'_ Karin thought. Since she couldn't say that, she gave him a death glare and flipped him off. He only laughed.

"Come now, that's not how a princess should behave, is it?" Aizen asked her.

In response, Karin used the hand behind her back to come around to the right side of her dress. She lifted it up to show her right thigh, which in the middle a knife holster was strapped. She gripped the knife and pulled it out, letting her dress fall back to how it was before.

"Ooh, scary," Gin said teasingly. Karin's mouth formed a snarl as a reply.

"Now Gin, no need to taunt her, after all, it's not her fault she's like this," Aizen said.

'_Way to state the obvious, you stupid idiot,'_ Karin thought.

"No, if anyone's to blame, it's your foolish mother," Aizen said in an evil, yet taunting, tone. "She was stupid enough to cross me. You seem smarter than she was, so I'm guessing this is the last time we will see you or your sister alive again." He had a cruel smile on his face.

Karin was so angry, and she couldn't take it anymore. She started to charge Aizen, adjusting the knife in her hand to land a fatal blow. She raised her arm and aimed for his neck.

'_Take this!'_ Karin thought as her blade was close to his neck. Unfortunately for her, the blade never made contact with his skin at all. Somehow he, Gin, and Tosen had disappeared, almost as if in thin air. Once Karin realized this, she put her arm down, slinging the knife into the ground. After a moment, she bent to pick it up, lifted her dress, and slid it back into her holster. The others ran over to her, concerned.

"Karin, are you alright?" many of them asked. She looked at them with an unreadable expression. There were many who didn't notice the look in her eyes, but Toshiro did. He knew that look all too well. It was a look full of frustration, of deep-rooted anger, and the tiniest bit of helplessness.

**Alright guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! I'm going to apologize again for the delay. I've been way busier than I expected to be. But, even though it's getting to be Christmas, I should be able to update this before then. As always, read and review please! Tell me how I'm doing. Lol. Part 2 of the party and more to come in the next chapter! :) **

**Until next time, **

**sirensong **


	4. Chapter 4- The Plan

**Thank you all so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them. :) Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it! :)**

* * *

Chapter 4- The Plan

After the confrontation with Aizen, Gin, and Tosen, Karin was in a foul mood. She went over to sit in one of the corners of the courtyard walls, not bothering to return to the group of her family and friends. Since her dress was plenty long enough, she brought her knees up to her chest and put her crossed arms on top. She just stared into space while she was thinking.

'_I almost had him,'_ Karin thought. '_If only I could've got him, then that would've left two to go. I want to be able to save Yuzu.'_

The others looked over to where she was sitting, looks of sadness on their faces. They each looked at each other, trying to decide what they should do. Finally, all their eyes simultaneously landed on the younger twin. She looked at them with curiosity.

"Why are you all looking at me?" Yuzu asked them.

"Because honey," Isshin said in a comforting tone. "If anyone can cheer up Karin, it's you."

"Yeah, the rest of us can't do squat," Ikkaku said with a smile. "We all know how stubborn she is once she's that upset. Won't cheer up for days."

"Alright, I'll go talk to her," Yuzu said. "But what if it doesn't work?"

"We'll think of something," Isshin said while sharing a look with Jushiro and Shunsui, who smiled back at their king knowingly. Yuzu walked over to where Karin was sitting on the floor against the wall.

"Karin, are you alright?" Yuzu asked her while sitting on her knees beside her.

Karin looked over to her sister, who was looking at her with concern. Karin sighed and got up. She held up one finger to Yuzu, indicating she would be right back. The group of her friends, father, and brother watched her movements. She went to the platform that the thrones were on, reached behind hers, and pulled out her notepad and pencil. Isshin had put it there earlier, and before the party, came up to her room and told her. She walked back to Yuzu and sat down once again. She began to write.

'_Since I can't say all that I'm thinking with my facial expressions,'_ Karin wrote; Yuzu was watching what she was writing. '_I thought this would be easier. I am alright, just nervous I guess. I just want to defeat them in time so you don't have to worry about dying.' _Yuzu looked to her sister, a caring but worried look on her face.

"Hey, don't worry about me. I just want you to get your voice back," she replied in a sweet voice. "I want to be able to hear you laugh when I tell you something funny, or when you make fun of Dad when he does something you think is stupid." At the end, she began to laugh. Karin smiled widely, and burst out in silent laughter. She did so for almost a minute, and it began to hurt so she held her sides. Yuzu noticed this, and laughed harder, causing Karin to make a face but continue laughing.

"See, I knew she would cheer up," Isshin said as he watched his daughters laughing together. "They're so adorable! Come to me my beautiful girls-"

It seemed that Karin had heard her father speak, and knew he was going to say something like that. Almost out of nowhere, she came and roundhouse kicked him in the face, effectively cutting him off. Their family and friends all shook their heads, and some also laughed. She crossed her arms and gave Isshin a disapproving look. He just got up and rubbed the sore spot where she had kicked him.

"Nice one, Karin," Ichigo said while raising his hand. Karin smirked and did the same, and they high-fived.

"Hey, isn't this supposed to be a party?" Rangiku suddenly asked. She sounded almost drunk, but not quite.

"How much sake have you had, Rangiku?" Toshiro asked his vice-captain. "You better not stay in your room and sleep all day tomorrow."

"Oh lighten up Captain," she said while laughing.

"When did you even get that drunk?" Renji asked. "I didn't even see you leave to get a drink."

"I've been drinking this whole time. You just haven't noticed for some reason," she said with a smile. "Besides, when have I not had drinks at a party?" The others laughed at this. Ichigo turned to his sister, who still had a hint of a frown on her face from earlier.

"Are you alright now, Karin?" he asked her with worry. She looked at him and nodded. Ikkaku, usually unobservant, looked at her with doubt.

"I don't know," Ikkaku said. "You still seem a little down. Why don't you have a drink to take the edge off?" He smiled at her, and held the bottle of sake he stole from Rangiku out to her. The look was almost challenging, as if he was daring her to do it. Karin had a look of doubt on her face.

'_I don't know if I should,' _Karin thought. '_I still am a little stressed out after the ordeal earlier, but I don't think drinking's the answer.'_ She looked back to Ikkaku, who had that same look on his face.

'_What the hell,'_ Karin thought while shrugging her shoulders. She reached out quickly, almost too quickly for them to see, and grabbed the bottle. She raised it her lips, tilting her head back, holding the bottle by its neck. She emptied the bottle, which was three-fourths of the way full. Once she finished, she put the bottle down on a nearby table. She glanced back at everyone, and all had wider-than-usual eyes.

"Damn! Did you see that?" Ikkaku shouted. He grabbed Ichigo by the neck, one arm slung across his shoulders. "Karin just downed almost a whole bottle of sake in maybe five gulps! And she never drinks; she didn't even make a face when she was done!" Ichigo got out from under Ikkaku's arm and moved to stand closer to Rukia.

"Karin, that was pretty awesome," Rukia said with a smile. She smiled up at Ichigo, who smiled down at her. "But I agree with Rangiku; this party does need to lighten up."

"Well, I know something that might cheer you up. . ." Ichigo said with a smile, raising his eyebrows. Suddenly, something hit him in the most vulnerable of places, very hard. He immediately screamed in pain and fell to his knees. Renji, Ikkaku, Rangiku, and Karin all laughed at him; Karin silently.

"Why'd you do that, Rukia?" Ichigo's pained voice was just a little above its normal pitch. "Damn, that really hurt."

"You were trying to be perverted, weren't you?!" she replied in an accusing tone. "I know that voice!"

"No I wasn't. Where'd you get that idea?" he asked while finally getting up. He stood once again, and looked at her with sincerity. "I was going to ask you to dance with me, but if you don't want to its fine."

"Oh, Ichigo," Rukia said in a loving tone. "I'm so sorry. I know you're not that type of guy. I would love to dance with you." Ichigo then smiled and held out his hand, palm up, toward her. She smiled as she put her hand into his, and he led her away to the dance floor. The music began to play; it was a cheerful song, but not enough to be fast-paced.

"Those two look beautiful together," Yumichika said, a dreamy look in his eye. He had on one of the finest suits in the entire party, second only to Isshin and Ichigo. Instead of being completely black like everyone else's, his was a very dark blue, and gave off a deep purple tint.

"Yes, they do," Yuzu said in a happy voice. She watched her brother dance with Rukia, hoping someday they would dance like that at their wedding, when Ichigo decided to ask her, of course. Rukia looked truly happy, and tonight she looked as much a princess as Karin and Yuzu.

Rukia's dress was the same deep puple as Ichigo's tie, and it matched her violet eyes. It was one-shouldered, and it was fitted at the waist. It was beaded on the shoulder and at the waist, making the silver stand out among the deep purple. The bottom of the dress went straight down, but it was still loose. Her shoes were similar to Yuzu's, only they were silver instead of pink. Her hair was braided twice, one on each side, and came together at the back, where the rest flowed down her back.

Soon, the song ended, and they made their way back to the group. Rangiku, Yuzu, and Karin all clapped and smiled at them. Ichigo and Rukia smiled back at them, before Ichigo's smile fell a little when observing Karin.

"Karin, you okay?" he asked with a concerned tone. Karin had a light pink blush across her cheeks, her ears almost in the same state.

'_What's he talking about?'_ Karin thought. '_I feel fine, well, maybe a little better than fine.'_

"I think it's what she drank earlier," Shunsui said with a smile. He was wearing his typical straw hat and pink floral-pattern kimono on top of a black suit. His sword was at his waist.

"I think you may be right about that," Jushiro said with a smile. He was wearing a dark gray suit with a white shirt and black tie. The dark shade of gray complemented his long, white hair. His sword was also strapped to his waist.

"Anyway, you should leave her alone, Ichigo," Rangiku said. "This is a party; she should be allowed to let loose without anyone giving her a hard time about it." Karin shot her a grateful look, and Rangiku smiled and nodded. Rangiku's dress was similar to Rukia's in the way that it was fitted. The dress was an emerald green, and it was a halter neck. It also had a high slit on the right leg, going up until mid thigh. She also had stilettos on her feet, only instead of silver they were a glossy black.

"You let loose enough for all of us combined," Toshiro said in a sarcastic yet sincere tone. He gave his vice-captain a look, and she smiled sheepishly. Shuhei, Ikkaku, and Renji all cracked up at the look on her face. Toshiro was wearing a black suit, like the others, except he was the only one who wore a black shirt under his jacket. His tie, like his hair, was a snowy white. His shoes were black as well. His sword, Hyorinmaru, was tied across his back with the green sash.

"That's harsh, Captain," Rangiku said in a whiney tone. She stopped speaking for a moment and listened to the music. "Hey, Shuhei, come dance with me!" She smiled at him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the dance floor. Ichigo looked down and grabbed Rukia's hand, following in Rangiku's lead. Shunsui went to find his vice-captain, Nanao, to dance with her. Renji, Ikkaku, and Yumichika all went to the food table, which left Karin, Yuzu, Toshiro, Jushiro, and Isshin standing there. Isshin and Jushiro exchanged glances, and Isshin grabbed his youngest daughter's hand, leading her to the dance floor. Jushiro mysteriously disappeared shortly after, leaving Toshiro and Karin alone. They looked at each other for a moment before looking at the ground, light blushes on both of their faces.

'_Why am I so nervous around him tonight?' _Karin thought. _'Normally when we look at each other this doesn't happen. Maybe it's because we both look so different?'_

'_What is this feeling?'_ Toshiro thought at the same time. '_Maybe it's just the euphoric atmosphere of the party.' _He glanced at her again, but her head was still turned away. '_Maybe Rangiku is right. Maybe I do need to loosen up once in a while.'_

Toshiro's next action shocked both Karin and himself. As if on its own accord, his body moved slightly closer toward hers. She could feel that he moved closer, so she turned to look at him. His eyes held an unreadable expression. He extended his hand toward her.

"Karin," he said with a questioning, almost nervous voice. "I know that we don't know each other all that well, but would you dance with me?"

'_Did he just ask what I think he did?' _Karin thought. She had to do a double-take. Sure enough, Toshiro was standing there in front of her, palm up, waiting for answer. She realized that she still hadn't given him an answer yet.

'_Sure, why not? He's not a bad guy.' _Karin thought. She looked up into his shining teal eyes. She smiled slightly, and put her hand into his waiting one. As soon as their skin made contact, a jolt went through their bodies and down their spines. Their eyes widened for a moment as they looked at each other, dark gray meeting teal.

'_That was weird,' _they both thought at the same time. Toshiro seemed to snap out of their trance-like state first, and pulled her hand, guiding her to the dance floor. Unbeknownst to them, many pairs of eyes followed their movements, and each face had a smile on it.

Once they were close to the center of the dance floor, Toshiro and Karin stopped walking. They turned back toward the other, and Toshiro put her right hand in his left while she put her other hand on his shoulder. He put his right hand on her waist, and both looked at each other. She looked nervous.

"What's wrong, Karin?" Toshiro asked her, his normally icy tone warmed somewhat.

'_I may be a princess, but I don't know how to dance like this_,' Karin thought. Her eyebrows knit together with worry, and she bit her lip. Over the years, Toshiro had learned to read body language quite well, so he understood Karin's actions. He smiled at her slightly.

"Don't worry, I'm not very good at this either," Toshiro said. Karin looked up at him in amazement. She returned his small smile. The two listened to the music, and began to sway to the beat and rhythm. After a few moments, neither were as nervous as before, and they began to move more gracefully and fluidly. Toshiro suddenly released his hold on her, and only grasped her hand in his. Karin looked at him confusedly, before she felt herself being twirled. When he twirled her a second time, she couldn't help but smile. He slowly pulled her back into his arms and swayed with the music again. He couldn't help but smile down at her when she smiled when he twirled her. She looked up at him for a moment to gauge his reaction, but his intense eyes held her gaze. It was as if she couldn't look away. He felt the same thing when he stared back into her beautiful, dark gray eyes that were shining under the lights.

They seemed to have slipped into their own world, for they didn't notice that the song had changed, or the many curious glances from the townspeople. Nor did they notice the looks of approval from their group of friends, along with Karin's family. Suddenly, some of Karin's dress went under one of her heels, and she lost balance. She began to fall backwards, and her arms loosened their grip on Toshiro. Once she realized she was falling she braced for impact, but it never came. Before she could reach the ground, Toshiro had placed his right hand on the small of her back, and he caught her right hand in his left again. To the other people, it looked as if he dipped her close to the ground, but that was not the case. They looked to each other again.

"Karin, are you alright?" Toshiro asked her in a slightly deeper voice. He glanced down to make sure she wasn't injured, his eyes swept over her body quickly. Upon noticing this, Karin immediately blushed and felt slightly embarrassed, but surprisingly she didn't feel that uncomfortable. His teal eyes returned their intense gaze to her dark gray ones, and it was as if they slipped into a trance again.

'_His eyes are so. . . captivating,' _Karin thought. '_It's like they're drawing me in.' _While she was thinking this, she began to lean closer to him, and it seemed he was doing the same thing. Their faces were very close together now, and their eyes were beginning to close. Only a few more centimeters and their lips would touch. . .

"Way to go, Captain!" Rangiku shouted in her drunken state. She smiled and winked at them. As soon as they heard her voice, he immediately pulled her upright and let her go. They looked at each other before looking down, heavy blushes on each of their faces, small smiles were present as well. They saw their friends, along with Ichigo, Isshin, and Yuzu approaching.

"You shouldn't worry," Toshiro said in a voice only she could hear. She looked at him in confusion, wondering what he could possibly be talking about. He just smirked back at her. "You're a great dancer."

Karin's blush darkened slightly at his words. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave a smirk back as a response, raising one of her eyebrows as well.

'_You're not so bad yourself,'_ Karin thought. Before Toshiro could reply, the group had returned to their previous positions around them, each of them still held smiles on their faces.

"You two looked great, Captain," Rangiku said, one arm around Shuhei and Ikkaku's shoulders. She was leaning heavily on them, as she had consumed so much sake she couldn't stand upright on her own. Surprisingly, she could still speak clearly and coherently. Toshiro raised an eyebrow at this.

"If you're so drunk, how are you able to speak clearly even though you can't stand up?" he asked her. She only hiccupped in response, a slanted smile on her face.

"I think you've had enough, Rangiku," Shuhei said. "Ikkaku, let's take her to her room so she can sleep this off."

"You got it," Ikkaku replied. The three made their exit, but before they got completely out of sight, Rangiku passed out, causing Shuhei and Ikkaku to almost drop her. They readjusted their hold on her arms and carried her into the palace toward her room in the west wing. The others shook their heads.

"Vice-captains," Toshiro said in sarcastic voice. Rukia and Ichigo laughed at that, and Shunsui and Jushiro joined in as well. Isshin chuckled and looked to the wall, where a clock was placed. It read 2:00 a.m.

"Wow, time has really flown," he stated in a happy, but tired, voice. The others turned their heads to look as well, and they weren't surprised at the time. "I'll make the ending announcement. Before I forget, though, there will be a Gotei 13 meeting tomorrow morning at ten. Karin and Yuzu, you need to be present as well." Karin and Yuzu nodded, while the others bowed their heads, both to show understanding and respect. "You all can leave before I make the announcement, See you in the morning." He gave them one last smile before heading off to the platform where his throne was placed.

Everyone looked at each other, and they all smiled.

"We might as well walk together, at least until we get to the hall between the east and west wings," Renji said. The others nodded in approval. Since they were closest to the exit of the courtyard, Jushiro and Shunsui led the way. Next to go were Renji and Yumichika, followed by Ichigo and Rukia, Yuzu walking beside her brother. Karin decided to go next, Toshiro only slightly behind her, bringing up the rear. Soon, they had reached their destination, and the members of the Gotei 13 turned to go to the west wing. Ichigo went as well, but only to walk Rukia to her room. Before Karin left to go to her room in the east wing, she looked at Toshiro one last time. He felt her eyes turn toward him, so he moved his head to meet her gaze. They remained that way for a moment, before they made their way to their rooms, a small smile adorning their faces.

* * *

The next morning, the meeting for the Gotei 13 was once again held in the great hall. Isshin, Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu were all present as well. Once everyone was seated, Isshin began to speak.

"Thank you for being on time everyone, considering the tiring past few days we've had. I wanted to personally thank every one of you for all the hard work you put into the preparation and execution of the party, but that's not the only reason I called you here." He said in a sincere voice. The members of the Gotei 13, along with the rest of the Kurosaki family, awaited the next announcement Isshin had to make.

"The main reason I have brought you here this morning is for a mission. The mission is to accompany Karin on the journey to defeat Sosuke Aizen and his partners, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen. The ones who are chosen or volunteer for this mission must keep her safe at all times, and if need be, protect her with their life." The Gotei 13 all bowed their heads simultaneously after he finished speaking.

"Are there any volunteers for this mission?" Isshin asked, looking out amongst all the squads. There were six hands that almost immediately shot into the air. Isshin looked among them, and called out their names.

"Vice-captain Rangiku Matsumoto, Vice-captain Renji Abarai, Captain Shuhei Hisagi, third seat Ikkaku Madarame, fifth seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, and Vice-captain Rukia Kuchiki, are you all requesting permission to join Karin?" he asked all of them.

"Yes, King Isshin," all six said at the same time.

"Well, all of you must get permission from your captains to go, except for Captain Hisagi, of course," Isshin said. "If they approve of your request, you may go." Each of them looked to their captains for approval, who all said they could go without hesitation. The only one who seemed reluctant was Toshiro, who gave Rangiku a pointed look.

"You only want to go so you can get out of doing your work again, aren't you?" he asked her suspiciously.

"No Captain, I swear it's not like that," Rangiku pleaded. "I want to help Karin."

"Hmm," was all Toshiro gave her as a reply. A few people had watched the exchange, namely Isshin, Jushiro, and Shunsui. They gave each other knowing smile, and Isshin addressed the situation.

"What seems to be the problem, Captain Hitsugaya?" he asked him.

"My vice-captain always neglects to do her work, so it has led me to believe that it is the reason she wishes to go on this mission," Toshiro stated calmly.

"Well, since only one captain has volunteered, I'm assigning you to go on this mission as well. I would feel comfortable if more than one captain went," Isshin said. Toshiro's facial expression was one of slight shock, but after a moment he bowed his head.

"Yes, my king," he said sincerely.

"Good, that's settled then," Isshin said in a happy voice.

"No it's not," Ichigo said, speaking for the first time. "Dad, I want to go, and Yuzu told me she also wants to go." He looked at his father with a serious look on his face and in his eyes. Isshin looked thoughtful for a moment before finally looking back to Ichigo.

"Normally, I would protest," Isshin said. "It's generally a terrible idea for all the children of the royal family to go on a mission, but judging by the Gotei 13 members that will be accompanying you, I see no reason to worry. You may go as well." At his words, Yuzu and Ichigo visibly brightened. "There is one thing I should mention before the meeting is dismissed."

"What's that, Dad?" Yuzu asked in a concerned tone.

"All of you who are going on this mission will leave on Monday, exactly two days from now."

* * *

**Hey everyone! I know i should update my other story, Can't Fight This Feeling, but I really wanted to post this chapter. I should be able to update both stories again by New Year's, so look for them then. As always, please read and review. Let me know what you think of the story so far! I Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! :)**

**Until next time,**

**sirensong**


	5. Chapter 5- Stress Relief

**Hey everybody! Thank you all so much for the continued support for this story. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Anyway, here's the next chapter :)**

Chapter 5- Stress Relief

Needless to say, as soon as Isshin said that part, almost everyone was shocked, but none more than the ones going on the mission. The only one who did not appear surprised by the date was Karin, who had an even expression on her face.

"Two days?!" Ichigo asked in an exasperated voice. "Isn't that a little soon, Dad?"

"Ichigo, I know that I normally do give more notice than this when putting together teams for missions," Isshin said, looking to his son. "But after discussing it with Karin, not to mention what happened last night, I think that the date is appropriate. Karin also agrees with me."

"Is that true, Karin? Surely you don't agree with Goat-chin over here?" Ichigo said while looking at his sister in disbelief. Karin only shrugged and nodded as a reply. Ichigo hung his head, bringing up his right hand to pinch the bridge of his nose in both frustration and annoyance.

"I can't believe this," he mumbled, and let out a long sigh. Yuzu looked at her brother with worry, Isshin just shook his head, and Karin had a bored expression on her face from her brother's reaction.

"Man Ichigo, you are such a drama queen this morning," a female voice said suddenly. Upon hearing the voice, Ichigo looked up and his eyes wandered the room, trying to discern who spoke. Once his eyes swept over the 13th squad, however, he had his answer. Rukia, who was sitting next to her captain, Jushiro, had a smirk on her face and laughter in her eyes.

"Rukia? Why would you say something like that?" Ichigo said, his voice sounding almost hurt. The other occupants of the room laughed, some louder than others.

"Because it's true, duh," Rukia said to her boyfriend. "You're overreacting to something completely stupid; just calm down. I mean it's not like you have to do a lot to get ready to go anyway." Ichigo and Rukia looked at one another for a moment, before Ichigo visibly relaxed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right Rukia," he said. "But can you please not call me a queen? I'm a guy."

"Yeah, yeah, we all know you're a guy," she replied in a sarcastic tone, crossing her arms over her chest and rolling her eyes. All the Gotei 13 members, including Rukia's brother, laughed at her comment. Karin and Yuzu also laughed, and Ichigo had a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Anyway," Isshin said in a serious tone, making everyone more attentive than before. "I've had some scouts ride throughout Seireitei and the surrounding nations to find out Aizen and his partners' whereabouts. They reported back to me a few days ago, and said that his headquarters is in the Valley of Screams, which is on the border between Dangai Precipice, a nation that borders us to the north, and Rukongai. As you know, the nation of Rukongai is to the north of Dangai Precipice. Since it takes a pretty good while to get there, you needed to leave as soon as possible. That's why I said that the mission team is leaving on Monday, so that they could have as much time as possible."

"Oh, that makes sense then," Ichigo mumbled absentmindedly. As if to reply to that, Karin sighed and rolled her eyes. Isshin grinned at both of them, then continued speaking.

"So, do the ones that volunteered for this mission still desire to go, considering the departure date?" he asked them.

"Yes, my king," all of them said in unison.

"Excellent," he said joyfully. "If there is nothing else that needs to be discussed, then this meeting is adjourned."

Once Isshin said that the meeting was over, everyone in the room got up from their positions on the floor, or thrones in the Kurosakis' case, and walked around. The same group from a few days ago, plus Karin, Yuzu, Renji, Ikkaku, and Yumichika all gathered at the center of the floor to talk again.

"So Karin, Yuzu, you guys ready to go for the most part?" Rangiku asked them.

"Yeah, more or less," Yuzu said, speaking for herself and her twin. "There's just a few things we need to pack, of course." Karin nodded as an affirmative, but took out her pencil and notepad and began to write something.

'_When Dad and I talked about this earlier, he said you guys needed to pack regular clothes as well as your shihakusho, because sometimes we'll need to be in disguise,"_ she wrote. Once she finished, she flipped it in her hand and showed it to all the members of the group. They read it, and nodded in understanding. A few of them, namely Rangiku, Yumichika, and Rukia, visibly brightened.

"I was so hoping he would say that," Rangiku said with a joyful sigh. "I mean, these shihakushos are comfortable because they're so baggy, but I get tired of wearing the same thing every day. I need some variety!"

"You need some variety in your work ethic," Toshiro mumbled sarcastically, but everyone heard it. They all laughed, except for Byakuya, and Rangiku looked to her captain and pouted.

"That's mean," she said frowning, but then she brightened once again. "But look at it this way Captain: now we won't have to do any work." Toshiro, instead of replying, just pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand, and gave a long sigh. He was starting to get very annoyed with the entire ordeal.

'_I need to vent out my frustration somehow or I'll go insane,'_ Toshiro thought, his eyes starting to reopen. He didn't think that he would think of a good solution quickly, and he sighed again.

Karin, who was halfway paying attention to the others' conversation, glanced at Toshiro briefly. She easily saw the frustration through his body language, but when she looked into his teal orbs, she saw the true level of its intensity.

'_I feel sorry for him. He has a lot of stress to deal with,'_ Karin thought. '_I wish there was something I could do to help.' _ She immediately racked her mind to think if there really was someway that she could help him, for she completely understood his situation. Suddenly, her eyes got wider and she started writing on her notepad once again.

'_If anyone needs me, I'll be in the dojo sparring,'_ she wrote. She quickly showed it to the members of their group, and they each nodded to show they understood. She then tucked her notepad under her arm, turned toward the big double doors, and began to walk away.

'_I hope he gets what I was hinting at,'_ Karin thought as she was walking away.

As soon as Karin left, the group went back to their various conversations. Jushiro and Shunsui, who had yet to speak, saw the looks Karin had given the young captain. They thought over her behavior, and looked to each other. Each of them had a smile on their face, as they came to the same conclusion yet again. They looked over to Isshin, who was standing across from them. Isshin, after seeing the look in his old friends' eyes and their wide smiles, nodded and smiled as well.

"Well, I hate to cut this conversation short, but I have to get back to work," Isshin announced to the rest of the group. "By the way, I will be coming by some of your squads later to check on things, and to assign temporary leaders to the squads whose captains and vice-captains are leaving." When he finished speaking, the others nodded and bowed. Isshin left to sit back on his throne and do some paperwork.

"Well, why don't we walk back to our squads to prepare, hmm?" Shunsui said, and the others agreed with him. Ikkaku and Renji, who decided to walk in the back of the group, smirked at one another.

"Hey, since we have to pass the dojo before we can get to our squads, why don't we see if Karin could use a couple more partners?" Ikkaku said to Renji, though it was loud enough for the entire group to hear.

"Yeah, that sounds great," Renji replied in an excited voice. The two captains in the front of the group looked at one another with a smile, walking toward the dojo, each one anticipating the coming moments.

Before long, the group had reached the outside of the dojo. As they were approaching the entrance, however, a random member of the Gotei 13 suddenly came flying out the doors with a scream. He landed on his back, and passed out immediately after he hit the ground. The group looked at the man with wide eyes, and all of them looked up at the same time. Each of their faces held a look of slight shock at what they saw.

Karin was standing in the center of the floor, in a fighting stance with a sword in her hand. Around her, there were four other Gotei 13 members on the floor, their weapons and limbs sprawled out in all directions. They had all passed out, and when Karin noticed this, she relaxed her stance. She lowered her sword until it was at her side, and shook her head when she looked at her now unconscious sparring partners.

"Damn Karin, you took them out without hardly breaking a sweat," Ikkaku said. Karin, who didn't notice them until Ikkaku spoke, turned her head to see them better. She smirked as a reply.

"Considering the season and how hot it is today, that really says a lot I'd say," Jushiro said, a small smile on his face. Ikkaku, Renji, Shuhei, Ichigo, Shunsui, and Toshiro all nodded at the comment. Karin nodded as well, and her smirk got wider. She looked to the group, and became excited at the prospect of a worthy sparring partner. She raised her sword and pointed it at the group, signaling for one of them to fight her.

'_I hope Toshiro will fight me, if for no other reason than to relieve his stress,'_ Karin thought. Renji and Ikkaku glanced at one another, and they walked forward toward the front of the dojo.

"It's so on!" Ikkaku said in a very excited tone. He and Renji made it a little bit ahead of the group, when suddenly two hands grabbed their arms to pull them back. When they turned around, they saw that the hands belonged to Jushiro and Shunsui. Jushiro turned his head and gave Shuhei a knowing look, who nodded in return.

"Hey, you guys, would you come to my squad for a second? I might need help evaluating new recruits," Shuhei said. "You can come too, Yumichika." Ikkaku and Renji both shrugged, and Yumichika nodded.

"See you guys later," Renji said, waving his hand up as he passed.

"See ya," Ichigo, Yuzu, Rukia, and Rangiku said. The others just nodded. As the four made their way to squad 9, the rest of the group looked to Karin. Ichigo, Rangiku, and Rukia had all seen the look that Jushiro had given Shuhei, so they knew that they needed to play along.

"Come on you guys, let's go to my squad for a little bit," Ichigo said, and Rukia, Yuzu, and Rangiku followed him.

"We should be going as well," Shunsui commented. Jushiro and Byakuya followed him, heading in the same direction as Ichigo's group. When they got close enough to them, Jushiro spoke in a hushed voice.

"Thanks for that," he said gratefully. "We'll meet back here in a little while, after we give them some time." Ichigo and the girls nodded, each of them with small smiles on their faces. The two groups went separate ways, effectively leaving Toshiro standing there alone.

'_That was strange,'_ Toshiro thought. He looked up at Karin, who was beginning to get impatient. She flicked her sword back towards her, signaling for him to come closer. He surprised himself by doing just that. He walked until he was maybe two feet in front of her. She bent down, put down her sword, and picked up her notepad, beginning to write. Once she was done, she showed it to him.

'_Will you spar with me?'_ Toshiro read silently. He looked in Karin's eyes, and saw the pleading look she was giving him.

"I don't know if I should," he replied to her. "Since we are leaving in such a short time, I have a lot of work to do to prepare my squad for my absence." He began to turn away, but she stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder. At her touch, both felt that familiar jolt run through their bodies. Once the jolt disappeared, Karin began to write on her notepad once again.

'_I know that you probably have a lot of work to do, but I saw how frustrated and stressed out you were back there. You need to let it out somehow. It's not good to keep it in like that, trust me. This will help you, and once you're done, you will be able to get your work done easier.' _She wrote this, then flipped the notepad so Toshiro could see it. His eyes scanned the paper, then he sighed.

"I guess you're right. This has been building up for a while now," he told her. She smirked at him, a challenging look in her dark gray eyes. He looked into them and saw the look she was giving him, and after a moment he returned her smirk.

"Alright, you're on," he said. He gripped Hyourinmaru's hilt, pulled it out of its sheath, and held the sword in front of him with his right hand. His left hand grabbed the green fabric that held the sheath to his back, and he took it from his shoulders. He walked to the back wall, setting the sheath down beside it, and walked back to stand in front of Karin. He took a fighting stance, and she picked up her sword and followed suit. They looked into each other's eyes for a while, neither one moving.

Then, as if having the same mindset, they simultaneously charged at one another. Karin swung her sword up over her head then immediately swung down, the motion adding force to the strike. Toshiro saw this, and moved his sword to block her strike about halfway down, their swords making a loud clang as they met. They each put force on their blades, and neither made a move to strike again. Karin slowly came to realize that Toshiro was pushing her back, her feet sliding on the dojo floor. She was swiftly losing her patience with this, so she gathered up enough strength and pushed back on Toshiro's sword, causing him to fly back about a foot.

As soon as he did, however, he charged again. He made many strikes in quick succession, and Karin was forced to be on the defensive. They were moving all around the dojo, the only sounds to be heard were their labored breathing and the clanging of their blades.

'_Wow, he's good,'_ Karin thought. _'I'm glad he's not going easy on me just because I'm a girl_. _Neither of us are going to win at this rate.'_ She parried his latest blow, and used her unarmed hand to try to knock his sword out of his hand. He noticed this at the last minute, because her hand was maybe an inch from his wrist. As soon as he realized her intent, however, he turned the tables on her and grabbed her wrist instead. She tried to shake it from his grasp, but he held it with a firm grip.

'_She's skilled,' _Toshiro thought. _'We've been sparring for a while now; I didn't think it would end for another twenty minutes or so. Now I've got her trapped, though.' _He smirked at the look of shock on her face, and she stuck out her tongue at him, the challenging look still present in her eyes. He suddenly moved his arm that held her wrist, swinging it diagonally downward. Before she realized what he was doing, the wrist he held in his hand hit her sword hand with surprising force, knocking her sword from her hand. Karin's sword flew across the dojo and hit the opposite wall before crashing to the floor.

Now standing without a weapon, Karin used her right hand, the hand that previously held her sword, to make a fist that was aimed at his face. He swiftly moved out of the way, sliding his left foot behind her right foot. When she made to strike again, he moved his foot back, effectively tripping her, causing her to fall on the floor, flat on her back. Since he was still holding her left wrist, he fell too, but he put out his left hand to stop himself from falling completely on her. He raised himself up on his knees, and she tried to hit him again, but he caught her hand in his, and brought both of them together above her head, one of his hands trapping both of hers.

"You're pinned, so I win," Toshiro said, looking down at her with a smirk. She tried moving her arms to get free, but he only tightened his grip on her hands.

'_I refuse to lose like this,' _Karin thought. _'Surely there's got to be a way to beat him.' _ Since she knew her arms were trapped, she looked down to her legs, trying to see if maybe she could kick him. She discovered that when he fell, he trapped her legs between his knees, making them useless in the fight. She then looked up at him, his smirk still present. She noticed he was closer to her than she first thought. She smirked in return. '_I've got you now.'_

Karin raised up her head, getting closer to his face. Toshiro noticed this and became confused, trying to figure out what she was trying to do. Before she got too close, however, she turned her head, going past his face. Once she got close enough, she bared her teeth and bit down his neck, hard. Toshiro groaned, and he temporarily loosened his grip on her hands, but that was all she needed. Karin lifted her mouth away from his neck, wiggled her hands out of his grip, and placed her hands on his chest. She shoved him, and he was lifted off of her. When his knees were no longer trapping her legs, she lifted her right foot and placed it on his left side. She put enough force on her foot to make him flip over onto his back. Before he could get up, she threw her leg over his side so she was straddling his stomach. She grabbed his arms in each of her hands, and put them beside his head.

'_Who's pinned now?' _Karin thought. She smirked at him and raised an eyebrow, challenging him to get free. Toshiro looked at her with wide eyes.

'_She's relentless,' _he thought. '_It was actually pretty impressive.'_ He glanced up at her, smirking in return.

"You got me," he said honestly, and she only smirked wider. "So, are you going to let me up?" Karin looked at him like she was considering doing just that, but then she looked off to the side and saw her notepad and pencil. She let go of one of his hands to get it, and surprisingly he didn't move it. Once she grabbed the items, she began to write.

'_No, I don't think so. I like it here. You make a good seat,'_ she wrote. She showed the notepad to him, and he read it. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she tilted her head back in silent laughter. Toshiro was going to reply, but just then someone cleared their throat. Karin and Toshiro immediately froze and looked for the source of the noise, which they discovered was none other than Ichigo, who was standing outside the dojo with the same group as before.

"Good fight," he said. He looked to the rest of the group, who nodded their heads.

"Yeah Captain, I'm guessing Karin won by the looks of it," Rangiku said, nodding her head toward them, a smirk on her face. At her words, Karin and Toshiro looked down and realized the compromising position they were in. They immediately separated and stood up, dark blushes on both of their faces. Jushiro, Shunsui, Rukia, Rangiku, Shuhei, and Yuzu all looked to each other and smiled.

"So, how much did you see?" Toshiro asked while rubbing the spot on his neck where Karin bit him.

"Pretty much everything," Ichigo said. "But don't worry; it's not like you did anything wrong."

"Yeah, no foul, Captain Hitsugaya," Shunsui said. He was going to say more, but the group noticed that Isshin had walked up, and the Gotei 13 members all did a shallow bow simultaneously.

"So, how's everything going so far?" he asked everyone.

"Everything's fine. Karin just beat Toshiro when they were sparring," Ichigo commented. Isshin got a joyful look in his eye.

"That's my girl," he said to Karin, who smirked and nodded. "Well, I hate to break this up, but you guys that are going should really get to work so everything can get done. Captain Hitsugaya and Rangiku, you need to come with me so we can meet with Head Captain Yamamoto to decide who will be in charge of your squad for the duration of your absence."

"Yes sir," Toshiro and Rangiku said together. The others left, and Toshiro and his vice-captain made to follow Isshin. Before they got too far away, Toshiro looked back at Karin, who was still standing outside the dojo.

'_Thank you, Karin,' _he thought. '_You were right. It did help me get my mind off of things, and I do feel better.' _He tried to convey his thoughts into his eyes, hoping that she would understand. He saw her nod her head and smile, so he knew that she did. He smiled back before turning and walking toward the 10th squad.

'_You're welcome, Toshiro.'_

**Hey everyone! I meant to update this way sooner than this, but it seemed like every time I was going to work on this, I always ended up having to do something else. Well, it's done now, so whoo! Lol. I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter. As always, please tell me what you thought of this chapter, please! **

**Until next time,**

**sirensong **

'


	6. Chapter 6- And So It Begins

**Hey everybody! I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day and a Happy Easter! :) I'm sorry about not updating this sooner, but school has been horrendous the past couple of months. I hope you guys will forgive me. Thank you for the continued support of this story. It means so much to me :) I don't own Bleach. Anyway, here's the next chapter; I hope you enjoy it! **

Chapter 6- And So It Begins

Toshiro awoke on Sunday morning from the light coming in through the window. He blinked his eyes a few times to help them focus on his surroundings, and soon realized he was in his bed, the same place he went to sleep. He sat up, stretching his arms above his head, the bones popping. Sighing in relief, he got up to stretch his legs as well. As soon as his feet hit the floor, however, a knock was heard from the door.

'_Who could that be at this hour?' _Toshiro thought. He shrugged and walked to the door. He pulled it open a few inches and discovered that it was his vice-captain.

"Rangiku, since when are you up before eight?" he asked her with curiosity, though sleepiness dulled it a little bit.

"Well, normally I would be asleep, Captain," Rangiku said seriously. "But Rukia knocked on my door about twenty minutes ago and said that Isshin wanted the Gotei 13 to meet in the great hall as soon as possible."

"Did he say why?" Toshiro asked, a confused expression on his face. He analyzed his vice-captain's face carefully to see if what see said was really true. After a moment, he realized that what she said was indeed the truth.

"I wasn't lying, Captain," she said. "I was shocked too. Usually King Isshin does announce when he wants a meeting. But Rukia said he wants to meet with us one last time before we all leave on the mission tomorrow, so just be in the great hall as soon as you can, alright?"

"Tell him I'll be there in about ten minutes," he said in an even tone. Rangiku nodded, turned on her heel, and began walking away. Toshiro closed the door and walked to the bathroom to get ready. He took a quick shower, threw on his uniform and haori, brushed his teeth, put on his sandals, slung his sword across his back, and walked out of his door. While he was walking down the hall, he ran his fingers through his wet hair to try to fix it.

Toshiro walked through the open doors of the great hall about two minutes later to find almost all of the members of the Gotei 13 were already present and in their seats. He made his way to his squad's position along the right wall and sat down, his subordinates bowing and greeting him. Rangiku, who was sitting beside him, turned her head in his direction.

"I'm impressed. You got here in exactly ten minutes," she said with a smirk. Toshiro glanced at the clock, and saw that ten minutes had gone by.

"So it would seem," he said in an unimpressed tone. "Has Isshin began the meeting yet?"

"No, not yet, but it looks like he's about to say something, though." Rangiku had looked to the platform where the thrones were, where Isshin was standing in front of his. Ichigo and Yuzu were still sitting, and had their eyes on their father.

"Thank you all for gathering here on such short notice," Isshin said in a calm voice. "I would have already begun the meeting, but no one seems to know where Karin is, and it is imperative that she's here. . ."

Everyone in the room looked at each other, as if asking one another if they had seen her. It seemed like no one had. Suddenly, loud clomping on the marble-tiled floors was heard, and everyone looked through the doors to see if they could see the source of the noise. At first, all they saw was an empty hallway, but then a horse and rider came into view. No one could see who it was from that distance, but it was closing quickly. Once they got close enough, everyone gasped, for they saw Karin on the back of her buckskin stallion. But she wasn't riding the normal way. Instead of sitting on the horse's back in a saddle, Karin was crouched sideways, her feet resting on the bare, saddle less back, using her hands in the mane as the only source of support.

Many of the Gotei 13 members looked at her in shock. She smirked at the looks on some of their faces, then turned her eyes back in front of her. She saw that the large platform that held the thrones was coming up in a few seconds.

'_Hmm. There are five steps leading up there. Can Mikon make that jump?' _Karin thought. She looked down, then back up once more. '_Yeah, he can.'_ She pulled hard twice on his dark mane, and he shook his head as if he understood. He ran three more long strides before using his strong back legs to jump the stairs. Once he made the jump, Karin used the hands in his hair to steady herself and to steer him beside her throne. She let go of his mane, hopped down, and sat in the correct seat.

"Good morning, Karin," Ichigo greeted her. "Why were you late? We were waiting on you, you know." Isshin turned and gave her the same questioning look that his son had.

"Yes, I believe I'd like to know that as well," he said. As soon as he spoke, a servant entered through the doors.

"I believe I can answer that, my king," the girl said. Everyone turned their eyes on her upon hearing her voice.

"Very well. Do tell me what happened, please," Isshin spoke in a calm tone.

"Well, earlier this morning, Princess Karin came to the stables for her morning ride on her stallion, Mikon. She immediately got him ready and went for a ride. She came back about an hour later, and took the saddle and bridle off of the horse. I found her a second later to tell her that she was needed in here for a meeting, and had she returned earlier, she wouldn't be late. So instead of running here herself, she jumped back on her horse and rode in here, even though she knows that horses aren't allowed in the palace." The girl finished her story and hung her head down. At hearing the story, some of the guard laughed at Karin's spontaneity.

"Is that what happened, Karin?" Isshin asked his daughter. Karin smiled a little and nodded. Isshin smiled in return and shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?" he said, his voice full of laughter. Karin only grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

Isshin turned back toward the servant. "Thank you for telling me the truth. I appreciate it. And as for Mikon, he can stay just this once. You can leave now." The girl nodded and walked away. Karin reached out her right hand and stroked her stallion's neck, smiling at him. The horse turned his head and rubbed the upper part of his nose against her cheek. Karin smiled widely, grabbed both of Mikon's jaws, and rubbed her face against his in return. He whinnied quietly and stood straight beside her again.

The tenth squad captain, who had been watching like all the rest, was stunned momentarily, his normally passive and icy facial expression gone. Instead, a look of slight happiness and wonder settled on his face.

'_Wow,'_ Toshiro thought. '_That ride was impressive. Not many in the palace have enough skill at riding to do that, much less in Seireitei.' _ He looked up to her face once again. '_And what's more, Karin hardly ever smiles like that. It's breathtaking.' _ After a few seconds, Toshiro jolted slightly, as if he finally realized what he said. _'Did I really think that? Where did that even come from?' _ He realized that he must be letting his thoughts show on his face, so he steeled it back to his normal, icy expression once more. Unfortunately for him, however, three captains and two vice-captains saw the icy mask slip from the young captain. They looked to one another and smiled.

"Alright, now that everyone is here, shall we begin?" Isshin asked, and everyone gave the affirmative.

* * *

Sometime later, after the meeting was over, Karin found herself riding her horse once again. She wasn't really aiming to go anywhere, she was just enjoying the alone time.

'_It's so hard to believe that we'll all be leaving tomorrow,' _Karin thought. '_Yuzu and I have never really traveled that far away from Karakura before. Everything will be fine though, I'm sure of it.' _ Under her, she felt Mikon slow down to where he was just barely walking. She didn't really pay much attention to it, since she was lost in her thoughts, until she felt him stop altogether. Karin rasied an eyebrow and looked in front of her to why her horse had stopped so suddenly, and without her direction.

Karin realized where she was immediately, because she had been there many times. She saw that he had taken her to the cemetery, but she heard a shuffling of feet next to her and knew she was not alone. She looked to her left, and was genuinely surprised to see Toshiro standing in front of a grave, his face more solemn than usual. Karin swung her right leg back, using the left stirrup of the saddle to hold her weight for a moment, before getting of her horse. Toshiro heard the sounds of the leather, so he looked up at Karin. His facial expression reverted back to normal, but she could see that his eyes were still full of pain.

"Karin," Toshiro said, acknowledging her presence. "I didn't realize that anyone else would be coming here now. I'll leave so you can be here alone." He turned toward the exit, but before he could make a step, Karin's hand grabbed his arm. He turned his head to give her a questioning look, and she gave him a "stay-here-or-else" look. He nodded, and she turned around. She reached into the saddle bag to retrieve her notepad and pencil, and turned back to him.

'_It's alright, Toshiro,' _Karin wrote. '_You don't have to leave on my account. Since we're both here for the same reason, why not do it together instead of alone?' _ She flipped the pad and showed him what she said. He read it silently, and thought about it for a moment.

"I suppose you're right," he said. He sat back down where Karin had seen him standing before. Karin took about four steps and sat down herself. For a while, they both remained silent. She was thinking about writing something down to try to talk to him, but he surprised her when she heard him speak.

"Am I right in assuming you came to visit your mother one last time before you leave?" She nodded in answer to his question, before she began to write once again.

'_Who did you come to visit?' _ Toshiro read. Instead of replying with words, he nodded his head to the headstone in front of him. Karin followed his movement with her eyes, and glanced over the name written in the stone.

_Momo Hinamori. _

"She was my sister. Not by birth, but she was in every other sense of the word." Toshiro said in an even, but pained, tone. Karin, who was surprised that the normally detached captain was opening up to her a little, reached out and put her hand on top of his. He looked at her with slightly-widened eyes, but she held his gaze confidently.

'_It's okay, Toshiro. I can see that it still causes you pain to talk about it. You don't have to tell me until you're ready,' _Karin thought. She tried to convey that message through her eyes, hoping that he would understand without her having to write it down. Toshiro did see something flash across her eyes and somehow understood what she was thinking, for he nodded and closed his eyes.

"Thank you," Toshiro said. Karin nodded in reply, and the corners of her mouth turned upwards in a small smile. She squeezed his hand in reassurance, and he surprised her by returning the gesture.

Toshiro and Karin lost track of how long they stayed in the cemetery together, holding on to one another's hand for comfort and stability. Eventually, the sun started to sink lower and lower in the sky, alerting them of the lateness of the hour. They both stood up and took a step to walk in different directions, but stopped when they felt a tug. Both of them looked down and saw that their hands were still entwined, and immediately released the other's hand. Karin looked up to meet Toshiro's gaze, but as soon as their eyes met they turned away with heavy blushes on their cheeks. Karin bent down and picked up her notepad and began to write.

'_Thank you, Toshiro,' _she wrote. She showed it to him, and once he read it, he had a confused look on his face.

"For what?" he asked. "I didn't do anything but sit beside you." Karin smiled at him and wrote her simply reply:

'_You did, but it meant so much more than that.' _ He read that statement, and couldn't help the small smile that made its way onto his face, along with a slight blush that dusted the tops of his cheeks. He nodded in agreement. She was about to reply, but suddenly they heard another voice from the palace.

"Karin, are you out here?" Yuzu's voice rang out. "Daddy's been looking for you."

Toshiro and Karin looked at one another again. She wrote down something quick before showing it to him.

'_Well, looks like I've got to go. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early!' _ Toshiro read it, and nodded. Karin walked back to where Mikon was standing, put the notepad and pencil in the saddlebag, and got back on her horse. She used the reigns to turn him around in the direction of the palace and urged the stallion to run back the way he had come. Before she was completely out of sight, however, Karin turned and waved at Toshiro. He raised his hand and returned it, and he could've sworn he saw her smile before she turned around and was out of sight.

However, what Karin couldn't see was that Toshiro was unconsciously smiling back.

* * *

The next morning, Rangiku, Toshiro, Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Shuhei, and Ichigo were all getting on their horses in front of the palace, waiting on Yuzu and Karin to come and join them before they began their journey. Many of the other Gotei 13 members from various squads came to see them off, along with Isshin, who stood beside Jushiro and Shunsui.

"Hey Dad, where are Karin and Yuzu?" Ichigo asked his father. Isshin looked up to his son.

"They were on their way down from their rooms the last I heard from them, son," Isshin admitted honestly. Rukia turned to Ichigo in concern.

"Should we go look for them?" she asked. Ichigo and Isshin nodded, and Rukia was about to get off of her horse when Yuzu came up beside her father.

"There's no need for that," she said with a smile. The group was relieved to see her, but Isshin's look quickly went from one of relief to confusion.

"Why isn't Karin with you?" he asked her. Yuzu smiled.

"She forgot her knife and holster in her room. She went back to get it. She also wanted me to make sure that Mikon was out here as well, and I see that he is," Yuzu replied. She went over to Mikon to put Karin's notepad and pencils in the saddlebag, and ran her hand over his jaw. He turned back and rubbed his nose against her hand in return. She smiled at him before she turned away and walked over to her horse, Taira, a palomino mare. She grabbed the saddle and put her left foot in the stirrup before she pulled herself and sat down.

"Well, that solves that," Shunsui said. The others nodded. They only had to wait for a few seconds before they looked to the front doors to see Karin running toward them. She had her sword slung across her back, and her knife and holster could be seen under the edges of her shorts when she ran. She continued to run until she reached Mikon, and climbed on his back.

Karin then turned and nodded to Yuzu, Ichigo, and the members of the Gotei 13 that were accompanying her on the mission to signal she was ready to leave. They all nodded back in return. She turned Mikon toward the gate and pulled the reigns back hard, and Mikon reared back on his hind legs. While hanging on to her stallion using her legs and one hand on the reigns, Karin turned around slightly to look at Isshin and the others. She smirked and nodded at them before saluting with her other hand. Mikon touched back on the ground and Karin tugged on his mane, and he took off at a run. The others, seeing that Karin had taken off, began to guide their horses in the same direction and urged them to a run. They each waved and said their goodbyes before going out of sight.

"Well, I guess it's up to them now," Isshin said to the two captains beside him. The tone that their king used was confident and hopeful, but still held the slightest bit of worry.

"It is," Shunsui said. "But all of them are strong in their own ways. All in all, I'd say they make a pretty good team. I think it will go well."

"Shunsui is right," Jushiro said with a smile. "The plan will work perfectly, and the curse will finally be lifted." Isshin looked over to his friends, who were both smiling in reassurance, confidence, and hope. It seemed that their smiles were contagious, for Isshin smiled in return.

"Yes. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that my children and friends never cease to amaze and surprise me."

**Hey guys. I know you probably want to kill me for not updating this for a few months. I know I've already apologized already, but I can't help it. I feel ****awful**** for doing that. Stupid school! :( Anyway, thank you so much for the continued support for this story. I promise to post the next chapter when I have free time. As always, please read and review! It would be fantastic! Lol. **


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